I was a bit dubious about the prospect of a one-man-show, but after seeing The End of the Golden Weather, performed by Stephen Lovatt, at the Theatre Royal in New Plymouth on Saturday my preconceptions were shattered. The play was a lyrical masterpiece and Stephen Lovatt was a phenomenal success asthe single player tackling all the character roles. Written by New Zealander Bruce Mason, The End of the Golden Weather is centred around a small beach community in the 1930s. As with any one-man-show there was always the risk of confusion between scenes and characters, but Mr Lovatt, with interesting use of his jacket, the quick flick of his head, intense eye and body movement, coupled with the play's fantastic language allowed the audience to comprehend with ease. Great use of lighting and sound also added to the mood of the play but it was the articulate Mr Lovatt who really made the show. I treated my mother, Natalie, to an early Mother's Day present and took her with me to the show and she was also suitably impressed. "It was a very evocative and professional performance. The characters were clearly defined and believable thanks to language, posture, facial expression and the clever use of his suit. The audience was captured and responsive throughout the entire show." The touring show is a shortened version of the original script, only an hour and a half, but for those minutes I was watching, I was completely transfixed. The End of the Golden Weather is coming to Stratford on Monday, May 21 and if you have been remotely considering going, I recommend that you do! Tickets are available from the Stratford Information Centre.
